Wednesday, April 08, 2009

Doctor's Visit

Not only was it E. coli, which is dramatic, but it was "the most antibiotic resistant strain I have ever seen" says the doctor. And, it thoroughly chewed up my colon.

The good news is, it didn't get into my kidneys, it appears to be gone now and I can eat (most) foods without much pain. The bad news is it will take "3-6 months to get your full pep back". Wow, 3-6 months is a long time, and how did my doctor know to measure my recovery in pep?

For the medically interested (which is me!), I'll also be taking a therapeutic dose of Pepto Bismol for 8 weeks to keep my intestines nice and slippery for the bacterial pili (mutanty hands) that would dare to latch on. My poor colon has seen better days.k In an effort to rid itself of the E. coli it basically sacrificed itself by shedding the layers that had bacterial pili hanging on. So, I have a colon that's missing several layers and repairing it is apparently where all my sleep energy is going these days. (I'm averaging 11-12 hours a night + a nap).

All in all, a good prognosis...a little bummed about the 3-6 month figure, but better to expect it than continually be surprised that I'm "still tired."